Surgical device.



F. E. MILLER.

SURGICAL DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 050.14.1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918..

SURGICAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 191%..

Application filed December 14, 1917. Serial No. 207,059.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK E. MILLER, a citizen, of the United States,residing at 17 West 54th street, New York city, N. Y., have inventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in Surgical Devices, of which thefollowing is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to surgical devices more particularly adapted fortruss pads, such for instance as shown in my prior application forpatent filed August 22, 1917, Serial No. 187,514; One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide means for gripping and drawing the epidermistoward an axis which extends outwardly from the body, with a view toproducing a new healthy growth at a local part of the body. Anotherobject of the invention is to correlate such means with a truss padhaving an apical pressure portion adapted to press toward the rupture,while the gripping and drawing means are'adapted to draw the epidermisand peritoneum toward said pressure portion. Other objects of theinvention are to provide simple and efficient means for healing a partof the body.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to theaccompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention inwhich-- Figure 1 is a fragmentof a belt, bandage or corset showing oneof the improved surgical devices in dotted lines positioned therein;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing more clearly the preferredconstruction of the means for positioning the device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the belt or the like showing one of theimproved surgical devices in elevation, the same being positioned foruse;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4--4, Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4; V

Fig. 6 is a reverse plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the preferred active elements of thedevice and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the clutches.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a fragment of a belt, bandage, corset or thelike 10, which is adapted to support the improved surgical device, isshown, the same preferably comprisingtwo layers 11, 12, of fabric, thelayer 12 being that which is applied directly against the body of thewearer and the layer 11 being the outer layer, said layer 12 being cutout so as to provide a flap 13 for closing a pocket 14, which isdisposed between said flap and the outer layer of fabric 11. The sideedges of the flap or closure 13 may be stitched or otherwise secured tothe edge surrounding the pocket 14c after the surgical device 16 hasbeen placed in the desired position for use. The surgical device 16 isshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. By ref erence to my prior applicationabove referred to, it will be seen that the improved surgical device asshown is exemplified in a truss pad.

The details of the preferred construction of the improved surgicaldevice are shown in the other figures of the drawings. The device willbe specifically described as. if relating solely to a truss pad exceptwhere otherwise specified. A pad or supporting member 16, comprises twopreferably conicoovate pad or main members 17, 18, each of which ispreferably of the same general dimensions. Said members are providedwith outer surfaces which are generally conical and these surfacespreferably extend continuously from the apices or apical portions 17 18'to the margins of said members, thereby or otherwise placing the apices17, 18 at the highest points of the pad members. Said pad members areplaced back to back as shown in Fig. 3 so that the tapering outersurfaces and the apices are presented outwardly away from each other. Tohold said members 17, 18 in that position, a socket such as 19, isprovided on each member, and these sockets receive a screw stem orspindle 20, which is provided at apoint between said members with a knobor wrench head. 21, whereby said spindle maybe rotated to cause saidmembers to approach or recede from each other. A telescoping device 22holds the said pad or other members in parallelism. It is obvious thatthe head 21 may be turned by introducing a wrench or tool between theflap 13 and the member 10 be fore the flap is secured at its edges. Ofcourse, the flap really does not have to be secured at its free edges.

It is preferred that a bicuspid device be provided, but this is notessential inasmuch as one pad or other member only may be 7 port 26.

employed. Referring to a single pad or other supporting member, the sameis providedwith a series of clutch or gripping jaws 23., the relation ofwhich to each other receive a castellated or other nut 27 serving as aclutch actuating member. Jaws 23 are located just outside of the surfaceof the pad or other supporting member 17 while the shanks 2 1, extendthrough slots28 in said member, thereby permitting the jaws to be swungor -moved. to and, from the apical member portion 17 The inner ends ofthe I shanks 2d, are'provided with outwardly extending fingers or, lugs29, which are in contact with the clutch actuating member 27, so that bya proper rotation of said. member, the jaws 23 may be forced toward theapical pressure portion 17. A turning of the clutch actuating member 27,in opposite di rection permits the jaws to be swung back.

Assuming that the improved surgical device is in the form of a trusspad, the same willbe applied to the pocket 141, so that the apicalpressure portion 17*, will be pointed directly toward the body of thewearer, and

if-there be another pad member, the apex thereof will point in oppositedirection as shown in Fig. 3, and it will constitute an op- I posingmember for the pad-member having said apical portion 17. The apicalpressure portion 17 is now engaged with the skin at a point opposite therupture,. and the pressure may be increased by rotating knob or head 21.When the surgical device is first applied to the belt or the like, theapical pressure portion 17*, and the jaws 23, are caused to engage withtheedge of 'an opening 15, in the flap 13, so as to protrude throughsaid opening. Preferably the surfaces which are to engage the skin arecovered with some soft material whlch Wlll not abradeit, After thedevice has been placed in position to engage in the opening 15, theedges of the flap are sewed or otheri Y Wise attached to the belt or thelike, but this is not done until after the desired adjustment of theparts has been obtained.

The function of the movable clutching or gripp' 1g jaws 23, will now bedescribed.

Assuming that the apical pressure member has been engaged over therupture, the part 30 of the abdomen will be deflected into substantiallythe shape shown by the dot and dash line 30, Fig. 4. There will be anextreme depression at 31, caused by the extremity of the apical pressureportion. The rotary member 27, is now turned in proper direction, byintroducing a suitable tool through a hole in the fabric covering, orthe flap or closure may be left unsecured for the introduction of such atool, to cause the" jaws 23, to be moved toward the axis of the apicalpressure portion which will result in drawing the epidermis andperitoneum into about the shape indicated at 32, by the broken line. Itwill be seen that a portion of the dermis will be gathered or clutchedbctween the jaws 23, and the apical pressure member, so that intactparts of the dermis and peritoneum are moved over the rupture. The partsare held in that position by the wearer of the truss, after the parts ofthe truss have been properly adjusted and fixed, for a period of say, aday. The truss is then taken off at night and the action repeated dailyfor a suflicient length of time until there will result the location orgrowth of new dermis over the ruptured part, thereby afiording a muchgreater resistance to the protrusion of the intestines. The additionaladvantage gained by the repeated application of the device is that theparts are massaged by it and there is a new distribution of the muscles,thereby tending eventually to produce a healthy body and cure therupture.

It will be seen that the improved device is capable of an entirelydifferent application in surgery inasmuch as when the device is not inthe form of a truss pad, the apical pressure member will of course, beomitted, in which case the jaws 23, may be used for the purpose ofmassaging a local point of the body by repeated rotations and reverserotations'of clutch actuating member 27; and it will furthermore be seenthat the dermis may be gathered up and drawn around an {axis whichextends outwardly from the body, as for instance around a wound,carbuncle, etc. If the surgical device is made as a bicuspid truss pad,it is obvious that one of the cusps only need be provided with the skinclutching and drawing jaws, the other being left plain as shown in Fig.3. This adapts the device for reversal if that be desired. When reversedthe other pad member 18, acts only as a pressure member.

It is obvious that the invention is capable of modification, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof as expressed in the claims.

What I claim as new is: V

1. In a surgical device, the combination of a main member having anapical pressure portion, said member being provided with apertures andskin gripping means correlated with said member, and operable throughsaid apertures relatively to said apical portion without affecting it.

2. In a surgical device, the combination of a main member having anapical pressureportion, said member being provided with apertures andskin gripping means correlated with said member, and operable throughsaid apertures relatively to said apical portion without afiecting it,said gripping means comprising clutch-members surroundin said apicalportion.

3. In a surgical device, the combination of an adjustable main pressuremember having an apical. pressure portion, and provided with aperturesaround said apical portion, and skin gripping means correlated with saidapical portion, and means for operating said clutch-members through saidapertures toward said apical portion without adjusting said pressuremember.

4C. In a surgical device, the combination of a main pressure memberhaving an apical pressure-portion, and provided with apertures aroundsaid apical portion, and a series of swingable clutch-memberssurrounding said apical portion and operably disconnected therefrom,said clutch members protruding through said apertures.

5. A surgical device comprising an apertured truss pad provided withmeans protruding through the apertures of said truss pad for grippingthe epidermis.

6. A surgical device, comprising, in combination, a truss pad having anapical pressure portion, movable gripping means on said pad surroundingthe axis of said pres sure portion which is arranged to extendperpendicularly to the surface of the body of the wearer of the device,said grippingmeans being arranged within the outer margin of said pad,and means for simultaneously actuating said gripping means to cause thesame to grip and draw the epi dermis toward said pressure portion.

7. In a surgical device, the combination of a main pad-member providedwith apertures, an opposing member at the outer side of said main padmember, the latter being adjustable thereon toward the wearer, andhaving an apical pressure-portion and means correlated with said apicalportion and protruding through said apertures for drawing the dermis andperitoneum toward said apical portion.

8. In a surgical device, the combination of a main pad-member providedwith apertures, an opposing member at the outer side of said main padmember, the latter being adjustable thereon toward the wearer, and

having an apical pressure-portion, and means correlated with said apicalportion and protruding through said apertures and independently operablefor drawing the dermis and peritoneum toward said apical portion. 7

9. In a surgical device, the combination of a main pad-member, having anapical pressure-portion, and apertures surrounding said apical portion,an opposing member at the outer side of said main pad-member, means foradjusting said main pad-member away from said opposing member, meanscorrelated with said apical portion and protruding through saidapertures for drawing the dermis and peritoneum toward said apicalportion, and means for adjusting said drawing means independently of theadjustment afforded by said pad adjusting means.

10. In a surgical device, the combination of two separate, back opposed,pad members, provided with conical outer surfaces, the apices of whichare located on an axis transverse of said members, means for ad justingsaid members to vary their distance apart, and means for drawing thedermis and peritoneum toward said axis.

11. In a surgical device, the combination with supporting means, such asa belt provided with a pocket, of a reversible pad of firm materialcomprising two substantial similar pressure pad members, arrangedsymmetrically, back to back and held in the desired position in saidpocket by tension,

one of said members being provided with means for drawing the dermis andperitoneum toward an axis which extends through a rupture.

12. In a surgical device, the combination of two separate elongated padmembers having oppositely presented high points located on an axisofiset from the midlengths of said members, and the outer surfaces ofsaid. members being on a slope from said high points to the margins ofsaid members, and in all other respects said members hav ingsubstantially the same shape and d1- mensions so that they aresubstantially identical, means for adjustably connecting said members,means for holding said members in relatively fixed position laterally,to provide a symmetrical truss pad, and

. means for drawing the dermis and peritoneum toward said axis.

Signed at New York city, N. Y. this 12th day of December 1917.

FRANK E. MILLER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe a w ssioner ct Wateata,

Washington, D. 0.

